Justification, Sanctification, Glorification… WHAT?

Nov 14

Understanding the Three Phases of Salvation

Most Christians know they’re “saved.” But if you asked them what that salvation actually includes, many would hesitate.

Did God just forgive my past?
Is He changing me now?
What happens at the end of this life?
And why do these three Bible words sound like they belong in a seminary textbook?

Here’s the truth: Your salvation story is bigger, richer, and more powerful than you could ever imagine.

It unfolds in three life-changing phases — past, present, and future — and when you understand them, your faith doesn’t just grow… it moves.

Let’s break it down the Faith in Motion way.

Justification

Justified — “Just as if I’d” never sinned.

Past tense — DONE.
Instant. Complete. Declared righteous.

Justification is the moment, the very instant, God wipes your record clean and declares you righteous because of Jesus’ finished work. It’s not earned. It’s not achieved. It’s not a process.

It’s a divine declaration.

The penalty of sin? Paid.
The guilt of sin? Gone.
Your status before God? Forever changed.

Not because you got your life together… but because Christ gave His life for you.

Romans 5:1 says it plainly: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Justification is God’s “once for all” act of forgiveness. The moment you went from guilty to guilt-free, from sinner to saved, from enemy to beloved child.

Justified instantly.
Justified fully.
Justified forever.

Sanctification

Sanctified — Set Apart and Shaped for His Heart

Present tense — NOW.
Growing. Transforming. Becoming Christlike.

If justification is the doorway into a new life, sanctification is learning how to walk through the house.

This part of your salvation is both:

a position — you are set apart (1 Corinthians 6:11)
a process — you are being made holy (Hebrews 10:14)

Sanctification is the Holy Spirit continually shaping you to reflect the heart of Jesus. It’s spiritual growth, transformation, and maturity. Becoming who God already says you are.

This is where the real-life, everyday Faith in Motion happens.

It’s in:

the slow refining
the unexpected stretching
the gradual healing
the slow death of old ways
the rising of new desires
the forming of Christlike character

Sanctification is not perfection — it’s progress.
And it’s not passive — it’s participation.

We grow as we:

pray
study Scripture
obey God’s nudges
stay connected to community
let Him correct, convict, and strengthen us

And yes, sanctification happens through trials too.
Pressure reveals what’s being purified.

God uses everything — even the hard stuff — to make us look more like Jesus.

It’s deeply personal, but it’s also beautifully communal. We grow best with others — encouraged, sharpened, and accountable within the body of Christ.

Sanctified daily.
Slowly shaped.
Continually transformed.

Glorification

Glorified — Glory Revealed, Forever Healed.

Future tense — WILL BE.
Completed. Perfected. In His presence.

If justification saves you from the penalty of sin… and sanctification saves you from the power of sin…
glorification saves you from the presence of sin. Forever.

Glorification is the final phase of your salvation story. It happens when you leave this world, through physical death or through rapture (Christ’s promised return), and step into the presence of God.

In that moment, everything broken becomes whole.

Everything wounded becomes healed.
Everything imperfect becomes perfected.
Everything limited becomes glorified.

Colossians 3:4 tells us “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

This is our future hope — our promised destiny.

Romans 8:17–18 reminds us that every hardship here is nothing compared to the glory ahead: “Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

Glorification is the finish line…
the moment faith becomes sight…
the moment we see Jesus face-to-face, fully transformed into His likeness.

Glorified eternally.
Glory revealed.
Forever healed.

The Whole Salvation Story at a Glance

If you need a simple way to remember it:

Justified — Saved from the penalty of sin (PAST)
Sanctified — Saved from the power of sin (PRESENT)
Glorified — Saved from the presence of sin (FUTURE)

Or even simpler:

Done
Doing
Will be

Your salvation is not just an event — it’s a journey with God from beginning to end. A story already written, already secured, and beautifully unfolding step by step.

You’re not who you were (justified).
You’re not yet who you will be (glorified).
But you’re becoming who God created you to be (sanctified).

And every part of the journey is covered in grace.

Final Thought

Your salvation isn’t fragile. It isn’t guessing. It isn’t halfway done.

It’s a complete story written by a faithful God. A God who saves you, shapes you, and one day will glorify you in His presence.

You’re not walking this journey alone or in your own strength. The God who justified you is the same God sanctifying you… and the same God who will one day glorify you. He finishes what He starts every single time.

So wherever you are today, whether you feel stuck, growing, or barely hanging on, remember this: You are fully loved, fully held, fully known, and fully His.